The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English works

Name: The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English works
Author: Gower, John

Gower, John

Poetry

And if thei stoden bothe in on,[101]
  To hope it were thanne anon                                        160
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 9=]
  That god his grace wolde sende
  To make of thilke werre an ende,
  Which every day now groweth newe:
  And that is gretly forto rewe
  In special for Cristes sake,
  Which wolde his oghne lif forsake
  Among the men to yeve pes.
  But now men tellen natheles
  That love is fro the world departed,[102]
  So stant the pes unevene parted                                    170
  With hem that liven now adaies.
  Bot forto loke at alle assaies,
  To him that wolde resoun seche
  After the comun worldes speche
  It is to wondre of thilke werre,
  In which non wot who hath the werre;
  For every lond himself deceyveth
  And of desese his part receyveth,
  And yet ne take men no kepe.
  Bot thilke lord which al may kepe,                                 180
  To whom no consail may ben hid,
  Upon the world which is betid,
  Amende that wherof men pleigne
  With trewe hertes and with pleine,
  And reconcile love ayeyn,
  As he which is king sovereign
  Of al the worldes governaunce,
  And of his hyhe porveaunce
  Afferme pes betwen the londes
  And take her cause into hise hondes,                               190
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 10=]
  So that the world may stonde appesed
  And his godhede also be plesed.


                                              [Sidenote: [THE CHURCH.]]
  iii. _Quas coluit Moises vetus aut nouus ipse Iohannes,_
         _Hesternas leges vix colit ista dies._
       _Sic prius ecclesia bina virtute polita_
         _Nunc magis inculta pallet vtraque via._
       _Pacificam Petri vaginam mucro resumens_
         _Horruit ad Cristi verba cruoris iter;_
       _Nunc tamen assiduo gladium de sanguine tinctum_
         _Vibrat auaricia, lege tepente sacra._[103]
       _Sic lupus est pastor, pater hostis, mors miserator,_
         _Predoque largitor, pax et in orbe timor._[104]            (10)

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English worksGower, John

General

The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English works

Gower, John

Poetry

And if thei stoden bothe in on,[101]
  To hope it were thanne anon                                        160
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 9=]
  That god his grace wolde sende
  To make of thilke werre an ende,
  Which every day now groweth newe:
  And that is gretly forto rewe
  In special for Cristes sake,
  Which wolde his oghne lif forsake
  Among the men to yeve pes.
  But now men tellen natheles
  That love is fro the world departed,[102]
  So stant the pes unevene parted                                    170
  With hem that liven now adaies.
  Bot forto loke at alle assaies,
  To him that wolde resoun seche
  After the comun worldes speche
  It is to wondre of thilke werre,
  In which non wot who hath the werre;
  For every lond himself deceyveth
  And of desese his part receyveth,
  And yet ne take men no kepe.
  Bot thilke lord which al may kepe,                                 180
  To whom no consail may ben hid,
  Upon the world which is betid,
  Amende that wherof men pleigne
  With trewe hertes and with pleine,
  And reconcile love ayeyn,
  As he which is king sovereign
  Of al the worldes governaunce,
  And of his hyhe porveaunce
  Afferme pes betwen the londes
  And take her cause into hise hondes,                               190
                                                  [Sidenote: =P. i. 10=]
  So that the world may stonde appesed
  And his godhede also be plesed.


                                              [Sidenote: [THE CHURCH.]]
  iii. _Quas coluit Moises vetus aut nouus ipse Iohannes,_
         _Hesternas leges vix colit ista dies._
       _Sic prius ecclesia bina virtute polita_
         _Nunc magis inculta pallet vtraque via._
       _Pacificam Petri vaginam mucro resumens_
         _Horruit ad Cristi verba cruoris iter;_
       _Nunc tamen assiduo gladium de sanguine tinctum_
         _Vibrat auaricia, lege tepente sacra._[103]
       _Sic lupus est pastor, pater hostis, mors miserator,_
         _Predoque largitor, pax et in orbe timor._[104]            (10)

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English works

The complete works of John Gower, volume 2 : $b The English works

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